Y’all before I get started on this amazing wedding, I just have to tell you, sweet readers, that I tried octopus last night! Yes, octopus! Anyways!

Lisa + Nick’s navy and pink preppy wedding has so much goodness to report on! First, I’m completly smitten with the navy patterned tablecloths! I love how their planner, Laura, played with pattern to create a formal yet welcoming feel to their tented reception. The low pink florals make for a fun pop of color without being overpowering! Southern preppy perfection in my book! When it comes to Southern weddings, family is so important, and Lisa + Nick incorporated family into their big day by the wedding taking place at Lisa’s childhood home, and her mother playing the cello as she walked down the aisle. So sweet!

Big hugs to Tracy of Timmester Photography for sending this

I had an idea of the exact dress I wanted but when I went to Hitched to try the dress on, I found a completely different one that was absolutely perfect! Both my mom and maid of honor agreed.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle and seeing each other’s faces (Nick’s especially, since tears were in his eyes).

Describe your wedding flowers: Pink! Beautiful! I had all peonies in my bouquet. At the tables, there were different vases with all kinds of pink flowers. They were a very nice contrast against the blue linens.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The escort card holders that we both spent hours putting together while talking, planning and getting seriously excited about the wedding.

I think I’d like to replicate this look in my living room! The clean white mixed with navy + pink has me crazy summer sunshine!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: It was the most delicious cake we have ever had! It was almond Génoise cake with fresh sliced strawberries and Grand Marnier buttercream frosting. It was a simple white cake with blue ribbon and pink and green flourishes.

Love the idea of popcorn as a fun favor to take home, and I absolutely LOVE the happiness in Lisa’s face in the photo below! That’s what it’s all about!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in college at a house party that my friends and I were hosting. A friend said that Nick thought I was cute and that was it!
Describe the proposal. I was in Maryland for a week to visit my family and came home on a four- hour bus ride. It was midnight, and I was exhausted and had tons of luggage with me. I called from the cab and asked if Nick could come down and help with the bags, but he said no. I was very upset. I got to the apartment door and walked in to see Nick standing in his suit with our stuffed animals on the bed and a sign that said, “We love Lisa.” My favorite song was playing and he got down on one knee and popped the question. We celebrated that night by drinking champagne and eating McDonalds (our favorite). The next night, we celebrated by having dinner at Beauty and Essex, in downtown NYC.
In what month did you get married? May
How many guests attended your wedding? About 85
Did you decide to do a “first look”? No, we wanted to be very traditional and Nick did not want to see me until I walked down the aisle.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. My mom is a cellist and she and her friends played as I walked down the aisle. Our first dance song was “Your Song” by Elton John, which Nick had playing when he proposed.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The location, my childhood house, and the preppy style.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? It being over.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into $50,000-$75,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The dress and the flowers. Especially the dress – it was something I had been thinking about since I was three years old.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Enjoy every single second of it. The time between we got engaged to The Day was the most amazing time. Also, spread out the planning. We started early and everything went smoothly and perfectly, there was no stress.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking to purchase a house in Connecticut and start building a nest.

Event in the City is a fabulous member of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory.

If, like me, you were eager to see Kelsey + Brandon’s bourbon bar and black and white dance floor in action, then you’re in luck! Please enjoy their film from the talented Inkspot Crow Films, and have a wonderful weekend!!

P.S. More wedding films

Inkspot Crow is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

This week in the Southern Weddings office, we gushed over new wedding gown designs, squealed over updates for our V5 launch party and anxiously waited as the new issue passed through the press (it’s printing right now, y’all! Here’s Em and I proofing last week. We look very serious.). There is so much to share, but for now our week of Bridal Market recaps will have to hold you over. No complaints, there, right?

We started off the week with Romonoa Keveza, Claire Pettibone, Christos and Kenneth Pool and just died over each dress!

Then, Reem Acra, Amsale and Monique Lhuillier made our jaws drop. No seriously, y’all.

Ines Di Santo, Anne Barge and Rivini blew us away.

Badgley Mischka, Lula Kate, Watters and Donna Morgan were up next and, no surprise, we adored all of them!

Heidi Elnora, Sarah Seven and Pnina Tornai were full of amazing details and sparkle.

Last, but not least in the Bridal Market Series, Kelly Faetanini and Matthew Christopher stole our hearts and Marissa and Kristin partook in a little street style shoot!

Who else is pumped for the arrival of V5? To help us count down the days, we’re giving away two bow ties a week! Enter here.

Real Weddings are the bees knees

Kelsey + Brandon’s peachy North Carolina wedding took place just down the road from our office! We love that they included a bourbon bar! See it here.

Don’t forget, we’re throwing a big anniversary bash to celebrate V5! RSVP here if you can make it.

A big hug and congratulations go out to all of the belles and beaus tying the knot this weekend, including our Southern Bride Blogger, Sheila!

Have a terrific weekend friends!

Yep, we’re still excited!

Though John and I got married in our hometown, I would consider our celebration a semi-destination wedding, since about half of our guests (and the bride and groom!) traveled in for the festivities. Most people stayed at local hotels or inns, but John’s family from Ohio — about ten aunts, uncles, and cousins — decided to rent a house for the week. Let me tell you: Best. Decision. Ever.

Even though we were still in our hometown, there was something about spending time at their oceanside cottage that made the pre-wedding week even more festive and celebratory. We made communal meals in the kitchen, played cornhole outside and games inside, and drove in a caravan to the beach around the corner. All in all, highly recommended.

My awesome memories from September are just one reason why I’m excited to introduce you to today’s sponsor, FlipKey. FlipKey is an online vacation rental company that connects owners with travelers. They have over 160,000 rentals in more than 7,000 locations worldwide, which means you’re sure to find the perfect spot for your celebration!

Of course, housing out-of-town relatives is just one way for y’all to use FlipKey in your wedding plans. How about renting a house for the bridal party for the wedding weekend? You’ll have a beautiful, clutter-free space to help facilitate quality time pre-wedding, and the cost per person will almost certainly be less than if everyone was getting individual rooms!

Bridal party photo by Paige Newton via Southern Weddings. Cabo San Lucas rental property here.

Speaking of pre-wedding plans, I love the idea of renting a house for the weekend for a bachelorette party! That’s what we did for my sister-in-law, and it worked out perfectly! We stayed at a house in upstate New York for two nights, and all loved lounging by the pool, hiking a local trail, and cooking in the kitchen with ingredients we bought at the downtown farmer’s market!

Planning a tiny destination wedding? Why not rent a villa and host everyone in one place for the duration? Venue and lodging rolled into one — done and done :) I also love this idea for post-wedding holiday family celebrations!

Lastly, I love the idea of renting a property through FlipKey instead of a hotel for a totally private and spacious honeymoon. With all of the different options and locations available on their site, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that fits your preferences and budget! This one looks pretty good to me…

Engagement photo by Gina Zeidler via Southern Weddings. (Amazing!) Nicaraguan rental property here.

Whew! Clearly there’s a lot to love about FlipKey. But don’t take our word for it — go explore for yourself! As my favorite Phil Keoghan would say, “The world is waiting!” (Any other AR fans out there??)

Yes, we’re back with one last Bridal Market post! If you haven’t been keeping up on the blog, be sure to take a gander at all the previous posts. It’s one pretty page after another!

Let’s start with Miss Kelly Faetanini. Isn’t her purple peplum outfit adorable?

Okay, onto dresses! Kelly’s collection was what I like to call wearable fashion forward. Each gown had on-point style trends without being too risky for real brides to try on their wedding days.

I love the layered lace peplum of this tulle ball gown, and the best part… it’s removable! How clever is Kelly? What a fun way to wear the trend, but have the option for a more classic tulle ball gown look. I also adore the bustle in the front of the dress on the bottom left. This fit-to-flare gown is made of silk santung. Fancy!

Oh, and this finale! My oh my! Kristin and I literally gasped when this gown came down the runway. The simple silk satin fit-to-flare is accented perfectly with a lilac ombre-feathered skirt. Talk about wow factor! After the show, we couldn’t stop talking about those ombre feathers!

Now let’s talk glam! Matthew Christopher’s 2013 Couture collection was all about glamourous red carpet-esque gowns, and I’m all about that!

Classic silhouettes with luxe details gave the MC collection a sophisticated feel. Opulent silk satin was mixed with raw-edged organza flowers to combine into romantic pieces. My favorite has to be the Toujour L’Amour (on the bottom right) — this gown was inspired by cathedrals, and features a silk duchess bodice wrapped in elaborate beading, raw edge ruffles and crystals and pearls in a heart-shaped motif. Tres chic!

In between shows we were thrilled to be able to shoot a little Street Style session with our awesome photographer Kat Harris! She even snagged these behind-the-scenes shots of us running between shows. Yes, I am totally into my iPhone in both shots – either tweeting, or more likely trying to map out directions to the next show!

Isn’t Kristin adorable? That girl has sass! I’ll let you in on a little secret: this is my favorite outfit, and I wanted to wear it the entire trip! (I didn’t, though!)

Kat asked us to do our serious face. Well, you see how long that lasted! Want to know a little more about our outfits? Check out Kat’s blog! She featured US in her Refined Woman series. We’re so honored!

Thanks again to Kat for all of these images!

But wait, have you STILL not had enough Bridal Market 2012 goodness yet? Be sure to check out our designated board for all of this year’s styles, and set aside some time to watch the videos our friends at Lover.ly put together! The one for Anne Barge’s show is below, but you can see more designers here!

Video courtesy of Lover.ly – search, shop, save and share wedding ideas all in one place. For more designer interviews, DIY tutorials, and more, check out Lover.ly’s newly launched video channel!